A Month’s Mind for manchán Magan: Rain, Remembrance, and Reconnection at Uisneach
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A gathering of approximately 2,500 mourners honored the life and legacy of Irish writer and adventurer Manchán Magan at the Hill of Uisneach in County Westmeath on saturday, a day mirroring the themes of his acclaimed work, Ninety-Nine Words for Rain and one for Sun. The memorial, a scattering of Magan’s ashes, unfolded amidst a dramatic display of elemental weather – sleet, sheeting rain, and hail – befitting a man deeply connected to the natural world.
Honoring a Life Thru Language and Landscape
As guests arrived, they were offered slices of bread and butter, a thoughtful gesture referencing Magan’s popular show, Aran agus Im. The bread was specially baked by Gerry Godley of Breadman Walking, using a sourdough starter cultivated by Magan himself, a tangible link to his creative spirit.
A Landscape of Remembrance
Halfway up the hill, a striking visual tribute was erected: a hawthorn bush adorned with scores of cardboard pieces. Each card bore a single word in Irish, accompanied by its English translation on the reverse. Examples included “Spailp” – surprise kiss, “Long si” – a phantom ship, and “Breacadh an lae” – daybreak. This installation served as a powerful reminder of Magan’s dedication to preserving and celebrating the Irish language and culture.
In a large field, a rustic bandstand decorated with oak boughs hosted a series of traditional musical performances. Musicians including Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Liam Ó Maonlaí, and Fiachna Ó Braonáin played throughout the afternoon. As the hail subsided, Ó Maonlaí led the crowd in a rendition of “I Can see Clearly Now the Rain has Gone,” eliciting laughter and a sense of shared catharsis.
Reflections on Ancestry and Connection
“This place has been a meeting place for centuries,” remarked landowner David Clarke, adding, “Now Manchán’s spirit will be here.” This sentiment was echoed by Juli Malone, known as the Dingle Druid, who, cloaked in dark green velvet, proclaimed, “Manchán is with his ancestors now. He is an ancestor himself now.”
A particularly moving moment came when Magan’s wife, Aisling Rogerson, read an excerpt from an unpublished manuscript. The passage spoke of a growing desire to reconnect with ancestral wisdom and a deeper understanding of self. “So many of us are feeling a stirring inside,” Rogerson read, “A wish to reconnect to somthing deeper that our forebearer had, but which we may have lost… The best way of describing it is an impetus. An inner urging based on an uncertain sense that it is time to delve deeper into who and what we are. And reassert our connection to our ancestors, to the land and to the spirits that it holds.”
A Final Journey and a Lasting Legacy
Jo-Ann Saddleback, an elder of the North American First Nation and a friend of Magan, shared a poignant story about her daughter’s reaction to the news of his passing.”My daughter had cancer too,” she said. “When she heard that Manchán was soon going on his final journey,she said that the world woudl be less. It would be a less kind, generous, curious and gentle place.”
As the ceremony culminated, Rogerson, accompanied by family members, led a procession to the summit of Uisneach.There, amidst the playing of drums and the lighting of a fire, magan’s ashes were scattered in a circle, returning him to the Westmeath land he cherished. A double rainbow arched across the sky, offering a final, luminous benediction. The spirit of Manchán magan,a man who lived so fully and loved so deeply,will undoubtedly endure,woven into the fabric of the land he so eloquently celebrated.
